ILOILO City – From Jan. 1 to Sept. 18 of this year, this city recorded a total of 334 fatalities due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Of these, 303 were not vaccinated against the viral illness.
Mayor Jerry Treñas described this as a “sobering” fact.
In the period from Sept. 1 to 19 alone, 25 of the new fatalities recorded were unvaccinated, he revealed.
This was “another sobering news for anyone who is still unvaccinated against COVID-19,” said Treñas who again reiterated the importance of vaccination.
The risk of getting severe COVID is high in unvaccinated people than in those who got the vaccine, he stressed.
“As we look at the cases these past few months, COVID deaths have intensified and our City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) reported comorbidities daily,” said Treñas.
As for the vaccinated but nevertheless died, here’s the breakdown from the CESU data:
* nine had their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine
* 17 got Sinovac (nine had their first dose while eight had been completely vaccinated)
* three got the one-dose Janssen vaccine
* one was fully vaccinated with Pfizer
It was unclear as of press time what caused the death of these fully vaccinated and halfway vaccinated people.
“Ginakasubo ko gid ang pagtaliwan sang aton mga kasimanwa sa sini nga virus. Ginapangabay ko gid sa tanan nga magkooperar sa aton inisyatibo (vaccination) para sa kaayuhan sang tanan,” Treñas added.
As of Sept. 23, the metro’s fully vaccinated residents reached 228,161 or 43.46 percent of its 525,000 target population.
On the other hand, those who got their first dose – and now waiting for their second dose – reached 312,891.
The city government hopes to vaccinate 90 percent of its target population before the year ends.
“We really have to double our guard,” said Treñas.
More vaccines are coming to Iloilo City. Treñas said on Sept. 28 the second tranche – 28,000 doses – of AstraZeneca shots that the city government ordered would be delivered.
The city government has so far received 21,000 AstraZeneca doses (first tranche).
“We want to achieve herd immunity as soon as possible. The city has the highest vaccination rate in the region,” said Treñas.
Vaccines are also being readied as booster shots of healthcare workers and frontliners once the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases gives the go signal.
The city government has spent P300 million for 600,000 AstraZeneca doses. It allocated P114 million more for 163,927 Novavax jabs.
Treñas will also request the national taskforce to consider vaccinating children aged 12 to 17 years old./PN
